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View Full Version : Is DigiPen a good school or a swindle?

asier cubero
05-17-2010, 06:33 PM
Hi everybody

I would like to ask you information about DigiPen School. I live in Bilbao (Spain) and they are starting this year with their classes. For people who don't know about it, it's a school with grades of four years about videogames. This year they're starting with programming and next year with Bachelor in FIne Arts. That's the one I want.

The problem is I have told the boss I have in my practices in a company as a web designer has told me to be careful, becuse he thinks it's too expensive and some things make him think it could be swindle. For example the fact that everything comes fron outside Spain making it difficult to check if what they say is true. That teachers come from America, that they come to Bilbao and not Madrid or Barcelona where there are more possiblities of market. Or that the building they are using is the Market Chamber of Bilbao Where they rent some classrooms and not go directly to a place of their own, big enough for a university, as they say they will and are looking forward to.

My boss has seen some swindles about classes and because of that has warned me. I have answered his complains with what I have been told in Digipen, but he still doesn' trust.

He is driving me paranoid about all this.

So here I am, asking for information to people all around the world, specially american ones, in quest of answers. Can you tell me if it's trustworthy?. If they really are as good as they say

If you need me to explain a little bit more, ask me.

Thanks.
orr22
06-08-2010, 08:31 PM
Hi Asier,

I'm curious if this DigiPen is linked at all to the DigiPen school located in Redmond, WA. (https://www.digipen.edu/). If so, I actually know many people in the game industry who got their degrees from DigiPen and, while expensive, would recommend the classes to you.

DigiPen (at least the one in Redmond, WA) is fully accredited. I actually looked into getting my degree from there, but chose another (Seattle) art school for my BFA. DigiPen has a reputation for having a serious art program; art students who draw all the time and, from what I've seen, graduate having strong college portfolios. (Of course, that could be the students themselves and not the schools, or a combo). Many of the environment artists I work with (Redmond based game studio) graduated with degrees from DigiPen, and I've never heard notably bad opinions from them regarding their college education.

Regarding your worries about "Where they rent some classrooms and not go directly to a place of their own", if it's the same DigiPen there may be a reason for not having a large campus. The campus in Redmond, WA is very small (recently expanding from one small building to a second building). If they don't have a large campus here in the states maybe their feelings on space are a carry-over to Spain?

Please keep in mind that my response to your question(s) is based off my my personal experience/knowledge of the Redmond, WA based DigiPen Institute. I have no idea if the classes/school you're talking about in Spain is at all affiliated with the DigiPen I'm talking about. Most of my response is conjecture and heresay. (Mostly I don't want to affect your decision and be totally wrong! Heheh. >.< ) Hopefully my wall of text has been helpful.
chrono1081
06-10-2010, 06:08 PM
DigiPen is my fantasy school. I could go but due to my job online school is my only option.

I don't know about the 3D program but their game programming course is amazing and people get hired from it all the time. The school is owned by Nintendo.
asier cubero
06-10-2010, 07:45 PM
OK, here I come with the answer.

I've made a little research over here and the school is completely real. It has all the things it needs to be a serious school. It was just my boss' paranoias based in his previous experiences. He just tried to prevent me from losing my money stupidly. Fortunately, it wont be so. Although I still need money to pay it. (Donations are welcome)

PencilAddict, yes, it's the same school. It has opened in Singapur two years ago and now in Spain.

Thanks to you two guys. Now, only time will tell what I will do. But sure it's a degree I would love to get.
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06-10-2010, 07:45 PM
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